Thursday, August 12, 2010

Is this the season for aggressive women?

Is it me, or is this the season for aggressive women? Many traditionalists decry today’s accomplished & outspoken women in the arts, politics, the corporate boardroom, or even in the home. I’m sorry guys, but this attitude isn’t just antiquated, it’s simply medieval! Some men are still uncomfortable in the world of this new woman. Old cultural attitudes, regional, or religious doctrine should not define how a woman acts in today’s world. Let me share a few modern women in popular culture.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, “Eat Pray Love,” was read by millions of women around the world. It is a story about a woman who realizes her life needs to go in a different direction. The odyssey takes her to Italy, India & Bali, in search of her soul. The movie has just opened and will be a huge hit with the fans of the book.

Marla took me to a lecture by Elizabeth Gilbert in Denver a while ago. There were 2000 adoring female fans and about six guys! She was very funny and a little self-conscious about all the attention. Check out the YouTube video of her store that she owns with her Brazilian husband in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Yes, that Brazilian from Bali!

Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy is a giant hit with reader’s this year! The books are all in the top five of America’s best seller lists. Movies of the three books are playing in art theatres around the country, but they are with Swedish subtitles. Hollywood will remake them in a style compatible to a less discriminating market.

Noomi Repace is amazing in the first movie, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

Lisbeth Salander is the heroine in the novels. This wild, diminutive, tattooed, pierced, totally unconventional, computer geek will make some feel uncomfortable. I admit that I was as well, but I still couldn’t stop reading! Christopher Hitchens’ piece for the December 2009 issue of Vanity Fair, is an amazingly look at the author, the books, and the dark, real life Swedish history that inspired the author. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/hitchens-200912

Lady Gaga has made a tsunami impact on today’s music scene!

Rock star supreme, vamp, writer & performer. She’s often crude, outrageous, and a Madonna for this moment of popular culture.

Check out her YouTube video of “Bad Romance.” It has received over 260 million hits! Now that isn’t chopped liver!

I live and work in a world of aggressive women. I find myself alone in a Wesco Fabrics’ executive meeting with six smart & aggressive women. That’s how we roll around here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I am constantly in awe of the women in my family. My wife and my daughters are totally amazing. I can’t hold a candle to what they can accomplish as wives, moms, career, or in their volunteer world! Multi-tasking is not a big enough word. I’m still evolving, but I do relish being a modern man in the world of modern women.